Flames of Eternity
by Unreal Wanderers
Summary: Two souls fighting against a feeling that seems unthinkable. Would they be strong enough to avoid their biggest fear, or would their hearts embrace a deep love? RonHermione
1. Prologue

**Flames of Eternity**

**Note: **English is my second language, so forgive any mistakes you may find. Thank you!

Summary: Two souls fighting against a feeling that seems unthinkable. Would they be strong enough to avoid their biggest fear, or would their hearts embrace a deep love? Ron/Hermione

Chapter 1- Dreams…

_No sound was heard as tall figure walked slowly through deserted corridors, being closely watched by some paintings in the stone walls. His heart was beating rather fast, his stomach full of frantic butterflies, but still he kept on walking. The moment of truth was approaching at an alarming speed, and all he could do was pray that everything would be right._

_He finally reached the place where he was heading to, and as a door came in sight, he stopped with his hand holding the doorknob. It was now or never: he had to know the truth. Slowly, he opened the door and entered a room that at first sight seemed to be empty. However, as he put the right foot inside it, a female voice reached his ears: "Finally! I was starting to think you had changed your mind."_

_Then, he let go of the door that closed with a loud noise, breaking the icy silence of the night._

»«»«»«

A new day was starting in a country house known as 'The Burrow', and a red-haired boy woke up as the first sun rays hit his pale face. "Bloody hell! I always forget closing those curtains", he exclaimed, sitting in the bed. As he did so, a knock was heard on the room's door. "Yes?"

Opening the door, a short round woman popped the head inside the room. "Good morning, Ron. I just need to know at what time Hermione will arrive."

"At noon, I think" Ron Weasley replied, immediately turning to the other side and covering his head with the Chudley Cannons duvet cover. Seeing what her son was doing, Mrs. Weasley sighed and walked towards his bed to uncover him. "What you think you're doing? There is lots of work to do downstairs; I need help."

"Mum!" Ron whined, but the look on his mother's face told him that was not a suggestion. "Alright, alright! I'll be downstairs in a fem minutes, I just need to get dressed."

Nodding, Mrs. Weasley left the room, closing the door behind her. Looking slightly disgruntled, the blue eyed boy rose and quickly dressed into the first clothes he found: a maroon shirt and a pair of brown trousers.

As he made his way down to the kitchen, he heard a female voice coming from Ginny's room: a voice that made him blush intensely. "Ginny, your hairr would look so much better if you do some braidz, you know?"

"No, thank you! My hair looks fine!" Ginny Weasley snapped, coming out of her room. "Oh Ron, good morning!" she said in a loud voice when she spotted him on the corridor, hastily adding in a whisper, "_She _is driving me mad! Seriously, how come our brother fell in love with that Phlegm?"

"Well…" Ron started to say, his cheeks still covered in red. But the red-haired girl didn't give him the chance to complete the sentence. "Don't say a word. Let's just hurry; I don't want her to come with us."

So, the pair of them walked the rest of the way towards the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was busy placing plates on a long table. She merely raised her eyes as they walked inside, still laughing at the idea of Ginny wearing 'braidz'.

"Smells good, mum. I'm starving!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes searching for the source of such good aroma.

"I wonder when you're not starving, brother. I mean… you're always eating!" Ginny remarked mockingly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Ah ah, aren't we funny?" he replied, sticking his tongue out. Sitting at the table, he started counting the plates with a confused frown. "Are we going to have visits? 'Cause you have put two more plates than usual", the red-haired boy said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hum, what?" Mrs. Weasley asked distractedly, her eyes glancing towards the table. "Oh my, I just can't get used to the idea that Fred and George doesn't live here anymore", the short woman concluded, pointing her wand to the plates that flied immediately to a cupboard.

"Well, it's easy to make that mistake. They send loads of clothes to wash, so it's just like if they're actually living here", the youngest daughter of the Weasley said in a sympathetic voice.

"Ron, I would like that you and your sister clean the rooms afterwards. Ginny, Hermione is going to stay with you, so please make sure that everything is in order, alright?" Mrs. Weasley said while she put fried bacon in her son's plate.

"Yes, sir!" Ginny promptly answered, rolling her eyes behind her mother's back, making Ron to choke with the bacon.

"What did you say?" Mrs. Weasley inquired suspiciously, turning around to face her daughter, her hands resting on her hips. "Yes, mum: that's what I said!" the young girl said, faking an innocent expression.

Then, as her mother walked out of the kitchen with a pile of clothes to wash on her arms, the two siblings concealed their laughter, making both of them to turn red with the effort.

»«»«»«

The rest of the morning continued with no more incidents, and as noon came closer, Ron started to walk anxiously from side to side in the kitchen. Ginny, who was sitting at the table reading a book about dragons that Charlie had given her, suddenly smashed it on the table, and commented sarcastically: "She'll not arrive sooner, just because you're walking from side to side, will she?"

"What?" Ron asked absent-mindedly. "Who are you talking about? I'm not expecting anyone", he hastily added when he noticed the smirk on Ginny's face.

"Oh, I see. But if I'm not mistaken, Hermione will be arriving today", the red haired girl stated, watching Ron attentively.

"Oh yeah, I had forgot. Er- how long do you reckon she will take now?" he started, his eyes staring hopelessly trough the window. "Stop it!" Ron hissed as he saw his sister smiling broadly.

Without saying more, he sits beside her and starts playing with a fork. A few minutes went by, and no sound was heard inside the house, apart from the songs of cheerful birds coming from the outside. All of a sudden, the sound of voices broke the uncomfortable silence, and seconds later Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen, being followed by a girl with bushy brown hair. "Good afternoon, everyone", the girl happily exclaimed.

"Hi!" Ginny greeted, her sharp eyes searching her brother's expression.

"Hi, Hermione! How were your holidays?" Ron asked an expressionless mask over his face.

"Oh, they were fine. What about –"but she was unexpectedly interrupted when a blonde young woman walked abruptly inside the room. As her brown eyes meet the woman's blue ones her smile quickly faded away.

"Errmyone! I zee that you haven't changed zoo much", Fleur stated coldly looking in a disapproving way to her bushy hair. "So, arre we going to have lunch now?" she questioned, turning to Mrs. Weasley, who seemed to be furious.

"Yes!" that was the only reply coming from her lips. As Hermione was taking a seat at the long table, Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at the stove, where some pans were.

The four people sitting at the table were all staring in opposite directions; Ron was rather red in the cheeks, his blue eyes refusing to look into the blonde woman.

The lunch was ready within minutes, and as the five of them started to eat, a female voice complained about the food: "Thiz food is really heavy, my diet is going to be rruined-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know that Phle- Fleur, I mean", Ginny corrected as she saw her mother's frown. "Hermione, you're going to stay in my room", she informed the other girl.

"I know, Mrs Weasley told me when I arrived. I already put my trunks there", the brown haired girl replied, while turning to Ron. "And what about Harry? When will he arrive?"

"I'm not sure", the red haired boy simply answered. When Fleur Delacour was around, he never managed to say a whole sentence without blushing and gasping, so he always looked as if he had drunk a bottle of firewhisky. This fact caught Hermione's eye, and she shook her head in an annoyed way.

The day continued as usual in that country house, with Fleur complaining about everything, while Ginny, Hermione and Ron talked about this and that, invariably ending in making fun of 'Phlegm'.

»«»«»«

As the night started to fall over 'The Burrow', Ron was lying over his bed reading a book about his favourite Quiddicht team: the Chudley Cannons. Although he seemed to be very concentrated on the moving images of the book, his mind was far from that. '_Why the hell I feel like this? I mean, why I feel so happy now she's around?' _were the disturbing thoughts within his head.

A muffled knock was heard on his room door, but he didn't move when he said: "Come in, it's open!"

The door opened only to reveal a brown haired girl who was holding a ginger cat on her arms. As she entered, the red haired boy straightened up abruptly and the book fell on the floor.

As he leaned to grab it, his hand touched one that had been quicker than his own, and he raised his eyes to meet a pair of brown ones, that were shining in a strange way. "Thank you!" Ron thanked clumsily.

"No problem" Hermione said, handing him the book. When no reply came, she sat on the mattress, gazing into the window. "All of this fog is unnatural, don't you think?" she asked conversationally.

"Hum, hum", was the entire thing the boy beside her managed to say. He kept glancing sideways at her, the book completely ignored on his lap. Suddenly, and without any warning, the two of them opened their mouths to speak at the same time. "Hermione, I-"; "Ron, I-"

At this sudden burst, the two started laughing. However, their laughs seemed to be a result from nerves, rather than enjoyment. "You talk first", Hermione finally muttered.

"No, ladies first; please", Ron retorted, rubbing his nose.

"I- I just- well, it's really good to be with you again", the girl with bushy hair confessed, rising and walking to the window.

"Yeah, it's good", the red haired boy agreed, staring at Hermione's back. 'It's really good, indeed', he thought within himself.

And as if he had sensed the boy's thoughts, Crookshanks jumped to his lap, looking at him in an understanding way.


	2. Why me!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling!

**Special thanks to: **

**iLUVmichi:**Glad you like it! Hope you keep enjoying it!

**EvilHeart89: **Thanks a lot! As for your wish… here it is a new chapter!

**Renee:** Please don't kill me! Here is the chapter; hope you like it!

**Chapter 2- **Why me!

"Good morning, sleepy!" a female voice exclaimed as a red haired boy appeared at the steps that led to the kitchen, his eyes swallowed and his pale face still showing sheet marks.

"Hum", was the only thing the boy managed to say. As he stepped inside the kitchen, laughs erupted from the place where two girls were sitting. Looking disgruntled, Ron Weasley snapped: "What's going on?"

But no responses come, since both girls kept laughing like crazy and pointing at him. And then Ron understood: due to the fact that he was barely awake, he had dressed a pink shirt that belonged to Ginny.

Blushing, the blue eyed boy ran out of the kitchen and slammed against someone who was coming in. The person had barely screamed 'ouch!', and he was already gone. A second later, Fleur Delacour walked inside with a furious expression on her face. "Zhat Ron is crazy! And rrude as well, he didn't even apologized!" she commented in an annoyed voice.

"Pity!" Ginny whispered mockingly, and Hermione giggled. The two girls then rose and without giving a second glance at the French girl, they walked away of the kitchen. They headed towards the red haired girl's room, where a ginger cat was lying over the bed.

Hermione walked towards the bed and picked him up gently. Opening his eyes lazily, Crookshanks didn't complain when the brunette placed him over her lap and started cuddling him.

"So Hermione, do you have a boyfriend?" Ginny asked, taking a seat in an armchair near the window. She had been dying to pop this question, because ever since Krum the other girl had never shown interest by another boy.

"A boyfriend? What do I need a boyfriend for? There are much more interesting things in life than having a boyfriend. For instance- "the brown eyed girl started, but Ginny shook her head with laughter.

"Hermione, drop that speech, alright? You may not have a boyfriend, but I'm pretty sure you fancy someone", the red haired girl stated, her green eyes watching Hermione's expression for a change.

"I don't- why do you- where did you take that idea from?" the brunette mumbled, dropping her gaze to the floor. She started twitching her hands nervously, and Crookshanks leapt to the floor in search of someone to cuddle him.

"For starters, you are always sighing and staring dreamily into the air, you keep a diary under your pillow with a sign that reads: 'Keep out, or you'll be cursed!' not to mention the lithe hearts I saw you drawing yesterday on a pink paper!" Ginny hastily replied, smiling maliciously.

"What? How could you-", Hermione trailed off due to the embarrassment she was feeling. The girl rose from the bed and walked apprehensively from side to side; she couldn't possibly tell Ginny whom those hearts were about.

"So… who's the lucky guy?" Ginny questioned, but as Hermione opened her mouth to retort, a voice reached them through the open door: "… me! Why these kind of things always happen to me!"

Popping his red head inside the room, Ron Weasley spotted the two girls grinning. "Don't laugh, ok? Fleur almost got a good glimpse of me when I slammed against her in the hallway", the blue eyed boy stated in a grave voice.

A sound that resembled to a 'humph!' come from the corner where Hermione stood, her arms folded against her chest, a sudden expression of annoyance framing the brunette's face. "And what if she did? What's wrong with that? It's not like if she cares about you, for what I heard Fleur is going to marry your brother, Bill" Hermione snapped, a disdainful tone clear in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked confusedly, his eyes locked with the girl's brown ones. He raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms just like Hermione had done.

"That somewhere is a better girl who deserves your attention, instead of this blonde girl, who's convinced she is perfect!" Hermione replied in a high pitched voice, her eyes gleaming with fury towards Ron. Then, leaving two dumbfounded teenagers behind, the brunette stormed out of the room, slamming the door hardly as she did so.

"What is wrong with her?" the red haired boy wondered, his eyes turning to his younger sister, who shook her head in reply.

'_I think I know what is wrong with her… and if I'm not mistaken, brother, you know it too, deep inside…" _Ginny thought to herself, staring at the closed door of her room.

»«»«»«

The sun was shinning shyly over a garden covered with beautiful flowers, but the grass was starting to grow wildly, almost like if no one had been taking care of it in the last times. True to be said, times were difficult now and people shouldn't be blamed for not worrying about their gardens.

In the middle of flowers and bushes, a girl with bushy brown hair was sitting in a small wooden bench; the tall bushes hide her from view, and the boy walking a dirt path only spotted her when he was almost reaching the place where the girl stood.

"There you are!" a red haired boy exclaimed as he took a seat beside the brunette. "I was wondering what had happened to you."

"I just thought about getting some fresh hair", the girl answered, refusing to look at the boy.

"Oh! That's why you ran from Ginny's room? Because of an urgent need to get fresh hair?" Ron inquired, glancing sideways at the brunette.

"No, I-"Hermione tried to explain, but no words reached her lips. The girl was fighting a battle deep inside; between the desire of saying what she had been keeping for such a long time, and between her will to keep that secret only to her.

"Hermione…" Ron muttered, entwining his fingers nervously. His blue eyes were locked with the girl's, and as he saw her getting up, he tried to spoke; however, his throat seemed unable to do it, and only grunts erupted from his mouth.

Hermione didn't look back as she walked the way that led to 'The Burrow', and her hair danced with the soft breeze that had started to blow. If she had glanced back, she would have noticed a pair of blue eyes watching her every move.


	3. A small accident

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling!

**Special thanks to: **

Everybody who has reviewed me, and to all of you that are reading this. Obrigado! (Thanks!") E especialmente para ti Maresia Eterna, porque apesar de não gostares muito deste par tens-me apoiado sempre!

**Chapter 3- **A small accident

_What is wrong with me? This is not possible… I just want to understand; what is this thing burning me on the inside?_

»«»«»«

"There you are, dear!"

"Oh, hello Mrs. Weasley" a girl with bushy brown hair complimented. "What can I do to help?"

"You could put the table for breakfast, please" Mrs Weasley asked in a soft voice; she was carrying a pile of clean clothes that covered her vision. When she placed the clothes on a basket, her eyes fell upon the girl. "Hermione, have you been crying, dear?" the short woman worriedly asked.

"No, no! I just scratched my eye because I had something in it; it's fine now", Hermione stated, but everything in her voice indicated she was not telling the truth. Deciding it was best not to press the subject Mrs. Weasley walked over to the stove and started preparing the meal.

The girl with bushy brown hair put the table in less than five minutes, and when it was done, she installed herself in a window-sill. Only part of the garden was visible; however, no speck of red could be spotted from that angle. Breathing in relief, Hermione turned her attention to Mrs. Weasley. "I haven't seen Mr. Weasley yet. How is he doing?"

"Arthur is fine, just been busy lately. This promotion came in a good time, but now he works like a doomed" Mrs. Weasley replied, smiling. It was clear in her voice that her feelings towards the promotion were torn.

Simply nodding, Hermione turned her brown eyes to the sky outside; clouds were covering the sun. Looking down to the garden, the brunette saw a tall thin boy crossing a dirt path that led to the kitchen entrance. Realising what was about to happen, Hermione quickly mumbled something that sounded like "Help… Ginny… room", and left the division not giving time for a reply.

When Ron Weasley entered, she was already far from there. The boy's expression was unreadable; his blue eyes stared cautiously as he closed the door behind him. "Good morning, Mum."

"Good morning, Ron!" Mrs. Weasley happily replied, walking over to Ron and kissing on the cheek. The boy tried to escape, but his mother was quicker. "Mum!" he protested, rubbing his cheek.

Smiling, Mrs. Weasley acted like she hasn't heard anything; she knew her son hated those maternal kisses, but it was too hard to resist. "Don't worry, Pumpkin. I won't let anyone know", the short round woman stated, her face widening with a smile.

Rolling his eyes, Ron pulled a chair. When he was about to sit, Mrs. Weasley asked him to go call the girls. His heart sink: that meant he would have to call her too. Reluctantly, the red haired boy made his way out of the kitchen and into the girls' room.

As he approached, his ears captured fragments of a sentence: "… letter from Viktor Krum. Sharpening his senses, Ron pressed the right ear against the door.

"So, he still writes to you, huh?" Ginny's voice inquired, in a rather amused tone.

"Yeah, frequently. We're good friends, you know? Viktor really is a special guy." At these words, a certain boy banged his head hard on the door. In a second, Hermione was at the door and pulled it suddenly. Consequentially, Ron fell over her, and both landed on the floor; still in shock, Ron's blue eyes stared deeply into the girl's brown ones.

Ginny's laughter seemed to startle both of them, who were still lying on the floor, Ron on top of the girl, their legs tangled. Rising clumsily, the blue eyed boy stretched a hand to help Hermione, but she refused to grab it and rose for herself.

"You should have seen your faces!" Ginny managed to say between laughter. They remained in silence, clearly embarrassed to speak; Hermione's cheeks were red and Ron's pale face was even paler.

"I'm sorry…" Ron muttered, dropping his gaze into the floor.

"You were listening into our conversation, so as you may imagine I have a letter to write. If you'll excuse me", and with those words, the brunette left the room, bumping into Ron as she did so.

"You two need to have a serious conversation, brother!" Ginny Weasley said, patting Ron on the shoulder. Shrugging, the red haired boy announced in a clear voice: "Mum called for breakfast."

»«»«»«

_This is not possible! We're only friends, right? I can't possibly be… Oh my, this is not good! I must stay away from him; yes, I'll keep the distances…_

(Knock, knock)

"Iz zhat you, Errmyone? Mrs Weasley called for breakfast!" Fleur Delacour informed. She was staring at the bathroom's closed door, her arms crossed against her chest. "Will you come out, pleaze?"

The door opened only to reveal a young girl with brown hair, whose eyes seemed to be slightly reddened. "I know where the kitchen is, alright? I can go on my own!" the girl said in a defiant way.

Turning around in a gracious manner, Fleur walked away, swinging her long blonde hair. Hermione rolled her eyes in an annoyed way and followed the other girl a few seconds later, but instead of going to the kitchen, the brown eyed girl entered Ginny's room. Closing the door carefully, she walked in the direction of a trunk and took out a thick blue book with a sign that read: 'Keep out, or you'll be cursed!'

Not thinking twice the brunette tapped it with the wand and whispered: "Parchment, feather, ink!" These three words were clearly some kind of incantation to disclose what was inside the book, because the silver chains that were strapped to the cover were immediately removed.

In fact, it wasn't a book: it was a diary. Turning some written pages, Hermione found one that was void of letters, and grabbed a feather to start writing.

_Dear Diary, I can only confide to you my most secrets thoughts, hopes and wishes. I know that lately the subject has been the same (and you must be tired of it by now), but what can I do? All I think is about him Do you think I should tell R-_

"Hermione, will you come for breakfast?" a female voice asked.

"I'm coming, Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione replied, hastily concealing the diary in the trunk, but not before tapping it with the wand and whispering: "Hide your secrets!"

Then, the brunette sighed and walked out of the room. She could hide her thoughts, but she could not hide herself from the world. As she took a seat at the kitchen table, her eyes avoided a certain red haired person who was eating porridge with a grumpy expression.

»«»«»«

**Note: **I'm terribly sorry; I know that Ron's eyes are blue and not brown! It was my mistake, so here you have my apologies.


	4. Blame the cat

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling! And the lyrics you'll find a little bit further are not mine either: they belong to Kelly Clarkson.

»«»«»«

**Special thanks to: **

All of you that read this and that review me. Thanks for everything!

»«»«»«

**Chapter 4- **Blame the cat

The sun had finally breached through the clouds, and the afternoon was brighter than the morning. Although it was not warm, the sun seemed to invite those who were inside the house to come out and enjoy the quietness of the garden.

Mrs. Weasley suggested them to go for a walk, and it was only after Ginny's passionate speech about the advantages of a healthy life and contact with the nature that Ron and Hermione agreed to leave the 'Burrow'. So, the three of them were now resting in the grass, after a particularly big walk which had left Hermione breathless.

"I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed, staring dreamily into the blue sky. On her right side, Ron merely shrugged, and on the left, Hermione nodded. "What is wrong with you, people? If you're not talking to each other because of that little accident, let me say you're two complete idiots. Unless there is something else…" the red haired girl said, looking sideways.

"No!" screamed both boy and girl.

"Wow! Are you two synchronized?" the girl joked, but no one laughed. Tearing her eyes away from the place they stood, Ginny spotted a ginger cat sneaking into the middle of some tall bushes. "I think your cat is going to hunt, Hermione."

"What? Where is he? Oh, he'll get dirt all over him!" Hermione hastily replied, trying to spot Crookshanks in the middle of the bushes, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, I'll get him", Ginny stated in an authoritarian tone of voice that leave no space for a refusal. The girl raised and walked in the direction the cat had just disappeared.

With Ginny gone, a cold silence fell over them. Ron looked towards Hermione, and she looked at him at the exact same time. Their eyes meet and remained locked for a while; nevertheless, a pair of brown ones was the first to turn away.

"So, he still writes to you." It was not a question, purely a thought spoken aloud.

"If you're referring to Viktor Krum, then the answer is yes. Does that bother you?" Hermione asked him, though her eyes were turn in the direction where Ginny had vanished just a few moments ago. A soft breeze started playing with her brown hair, making it dance faintly.

Ron did not speak for a while, his features showing a thoughtful expression. _Does that bother you?' _ These words echoed heatedly in the red haired boy's mind, making him wonder if their meaning was as deep as he wished them to be, and also the reason why that question had been placed. "Even if it did", Ron finally spoke, in a strangely hoarse voice, "it's not like you would really care."

"That is right! I don't care about what you think, and I certainly don't need you permission to write to whomever I want", Hermione retorted, turning her gaze to the blue eyed boy. Her brown eyes flashed dangerously as she crossed her arms against the chest.

A sudden rustle made both of them to look over their shoulders, only to see a red haired girl carrying a reluctant ginger cat on her arms.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed, rising to hold the cat. Crookshanks didn't look too happy and tried to escape when the brunette grabbed him. "Bad kitty! I don't want you to get dirt all over your beautiful fur. If you sneak off the house again, I'll lock you up!" she threatened, but the cat simply stared at her with his piercing eyes.

"So, what have you two been up to?" Ginny inquired, a malicious grin appearing on her face. When her question was ignored, the girl protested: "You lot is being such a pain in the ass! I miss those times when you were always firing at each other; it was so much funnier." Once more, silence was the only reply. "Oh, I'm going inside. Anything is better than stare into your gloomy faces, even if it means babysitting Phlegm!"

When she was about to leave, Hermione called her: "Wait, Ginny! I'll go with you." And both of them headed to the crooked house.

"Sure! Leave the poor Ron behind, no one cares about me anyway!" the blue eyed boy snapped, but the girls were too far to hear his words.

»«»«»«

"… and I think my drress is going to be white with golden embroideries. What do you think, Mrs. Weazley?" a young woman with a high ponytail questioned. However, when the short woman called Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to speak, the other woman answered to her own question. "Yez, white with golden embroideries. It's just perfect!"

Rolling her eyes, Mrs. Weasley turned around to face the young woman, a fake smile racing her features. Fleur Delacour had been talking for ages, and the unfortunate woman was at the edge of committing a crime. Therefore, it was with a relieved expression that Mrs. Weasley welcomed the two girls coming from the garden.

"Ginny! Hermione! I was just about to go look for you. Come girls, we need to make your _lists_", the short woman said, waving at them to follow her.

"Er… what lists, Mum?" Ginny asked in confusion, not noticing the significant frowns on her mother's face.

"The lists of things you need to buy before returning to school", Mrs. Weasley insisted. Turning to Fleur, she sighed before explaining, "Teenagers! Never remember their mother's words." And with that, she grabbed Ginny and Hermione by the elbow and literally dragged the girls out of the kitchen.

"Ouch! You don't need to pull that hard", the red haired girl complained, rubbing her left elbow as soon as her mother let go of him. On the right side of Mrs. Weasley, Hermione smiled, clearly amused. "What are you laughing about? It really hurts!"

Not saying a word, Mrs. Weasley left them behind. One of the girls was smiling broadly, but the other seemed to be completely dumbfounded.

"Where is she going? Weren't we supposed to be doing that list I've never heard of?" Ginny asked to the brunette standing right beside her.

"Your mother just needed an excuse to get away from Fleur", Hermione patiently explained. "She must have been driving your poor mother insane."

"Oh! I see…" the other girl said, comprehension enlightening her confused mind. "Well, job done. Let's go to the room and find something interesting to do", she added, leading the way to her room.

"Ok. I have this great book about the history of-", Hermione started to say, but trailed of shortly after notice Ginny's not so thrilled expression. "What?"

"I said _interesting_, not boring. Girl, you desperately need to find yourself a boyfriend!" the red haired girl advised, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"No, I don't!" the brown eyed girl replied defensively, but her friend merely shrugged.

»«»«»«

"Hi Ron!" Fleur complimented as the boy crossed the door that come from the garden and led to the kitchen.

"Hi!" Ron complimented back, with the voice above a whisper. It didn't take more than two seconds for him to blush. No matter how hard the boy tried, he couldn't help blushing and gasping while around the French girl.

"I know thiz is not my business, but I noticed zhat you and Hermione fancy each other", the blonde young woman declared, her blue eyes fixed on the boy standing at the door.

"Come again?" Ron asked, his mouth dropping and his eyes widening. He was looking at her like if she was a giant spider.

"You don't have to act zo surrprised with me, Ronny! I have zeen you exchanging looks; it's pretty obvious" the blue eyes woman continued, ignoring or pretending to ignore the boy's surprised expression.

"I- we- you…" was the entire thing the red haired boy managed to mumble, running a hand through his air, staring confusedly at Fleur.

Fleur rose from the chair she was sitting in and walked towards Ron. The boy did not move when she placed a hand over his shoulder, and whispered in his ear: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It will be our little secrret."

And next, she walked away, not glancing back one more time as she did so. The blue eyed boy stayed behind, his eyes fixed on the door through where the French woman had just disappeared, not knowing what to do afterwards.

»«»«»«

_Here I am, once again_

_I'm torn into pieces_

_Can't deny it, can't pretend_

_Just thought you were the one…_

"Hermione", called a girl with flaming red hair, looking towards a brunette who was sitting on a window-sill. The girl ignored her and continued staring through the window. At that moment, Ginny walked in the direction of the girl, stopping a few inches from her.

The brunette was shaking her head slightly and didn't seem to be aware of the red haired girl's presence. Not many seconds went by until she finally raised her eyes. Jumping with astonish, Hermione removed a pair of phones from her ears, which Ginny had failed to see due to the other girl's bushy hair. "Oh Ginny, I didn't know you were here."

"I can see that. What is this thing you're holding?" the younger girl asked, her eyes observing a small thin black object on her friend's hands.

"This is a Mp3. Basically, is a device where you can store music and listen to it whenever you wish. Muggle's invention", the girl named Hermione explained, smiling at the other girl's startled expression. "Want to listen?"

Ginny eyed the device apprehensively for about a minute, and then she nodded and sat beside the brunette in the window-sill. The sky outside was dark and little stars could be seen here and there, illuminating endless fields that were laid ahead the house. However, the younger girl was not interested in the beauty of the night; she watched as Hermione gave her one of the phones and instructed her to put it on her left ear.

As she did so, the girl widened her eyes when a female voice was heard singing:

_Broken up, deep inside_

_But you won't get to see the tears I cry_

_Behind these hazel eyes_

"Wow! Great voice!" Ginny commented in a loud tone of voice, moving her body slowly with the rhythm of the music. "What's her name?"

"Kelly Clarkson", the brown eyed girl answered. "She is my favourite singer. Her songs make me think about… about many things", Hermione concluded shortly.

"I like the song so far. But this Mp4 thing or whatever is its name, gives you the impression that the music is inside your head. It's a little bit strange", Ginny replied.

Hermione laughed at those words, and the red haired girl raised an eyebrow. "It's Mp3, Ginny!" the brunette corrected, trying to control her laughter but failing miserably.

»«»«»«

"Crookshanks, what are you doing here?" Ron inquired when a ginger cat jumped to his bed, placing a blue book on his lap. "What is this?" the boy asked to no one, since the cat could not give him an answer.

Looking puzzled, the red haired boy grabbed it and turned it so the front cover was visible. There was some inscription there and so the boy leaned to read the words: "Keep out, or you'll be cursed!"

"Bloody hell!" cried Ron, throwing the book to the floor. It landed with the front cover facing him, where silver chains could be seen shaking menacingly, while the words flashed in red. "What in the world?" muttered Ron, climbing to a chair nearby at an incredible speed.

Crookshanks walked over to it, and laced a fluffy paw on the chains. Quickly, they stopped twitching and it was only then that the blue eyed boy felt safe enough to descend from the chair.

"Where did you get this from?" Ron questioned, eyeing the book suspiciously. "Well, I guess I'll have to go look for the owner… but I won't touch that wicked thing!" the boy spoke for himself. He decided to pick up a filthy shirt that was lying on the floor, and carefully wrapped the book with it.

Walking at a rather fast pace, Ron headed to the girl's room from where he suspected the book was from, given its thickness. He was in such a hurry that he didn't stop to knock at the door.

"Ron!" Ginny shouted, but as she saw the volume on her brother's hands, the girl went silent.

Crookshanks entered and made his way towards Hermione, who was blinking at the abrupt appearance of Ron. Her face became pale when she saw the boy unrolling the shirt and revealing a blue book. Running to him, she snapped it from the boy's hands with such harsh moves that he almost lost his balance.

"Hey! What was that for? I jus-"Ron started, only to be swiftly interrupted by the brunette.

"How dare you? Haven't you read the sign? This diary i-" Hermione trailed of embarrassingly, aware of the boy's curious expression. Her cheeks were now crimson red, and the girl seemed to be struggling for air.

"Is that your diary?" Ron asked awkwardly, glancing to his younger sister who was doing her best not to burst in laughter. "I'm sorry, but Crookshanks took this to my room…" the red haired boy tried to explain one more time. His blue eyes were fixed on the book the girl was holding; the words had stopped flashing in red.

"It's not your business!" the brown eyed girl replied, putting the book inside a trunk and locking it. She was shaking in rage, clenching her hands so hard that her knuckles were turning white with the effort.

"I'm sor-", Ron tried t apologize for the third time, but yet again he was interrupted.

"I truly hope this was the last time you touched my- this diary! I will- you shouldn't- oh, I hate you!" Hermione screamed, walking right beside Ron and exiting the room. As the boy opened his mouth to speak, the brunette walked inside again and gripped Crookshanks by the neck, taking him out with her and slamming the door hardly behind her.

The two siblings exchanged incredulous looks, not daring to move with fear that Hermione would storm inside the room another time. "What have I done? It's Crookshanks fault… I mean, he took the diary to may room. If someone is to blame, that would be the cat", Ron managed to say at last.

"If I'm not mistaken, dear brother, Crookshanks is about to get his punishment", Ginny declared in a dark voice.

**Note: **I just want to apologize for any mistakes that you may find here; English is my second language. Thanks for the attention!


	5. The visit

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling!

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**Special thanks to: **Maresia Eterna, for all of your support no matter what, and to all of you that read this and send your reviews.

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**Chapter 5- **The visit

The days in The Burrow were never quiet; Mrs. Weasley was constantly giving them tasks, with the excuse that they were highly educational. Fleur Delacour was getting more annoying with each new day, due to the proximity of her wedding with Billy.

"I can't stand her anymore", Ginny commented in an exasperated voice, and Hermione nodded in agreement. "I mean, I would be excited too if it was my wedding, but she can talk about it for hours!"

"I know what you mean", Hermione replied, handing the other girl a dish, which was promptly grabbed by her and she washed the foam away. "The other day, I had to endure a one hour conversation about the bouquet she should choose. I almost fell asleep, can you believe it?"

"Why didn't you just leave her speaking to herself?" Ginny inquired, washing another dish.

"Oh, I didn't want to be rude, Ginny!" the brunette responded, looking sideways to her friend. "Would you do that?" she asked suspiciously. "Forget it, I already know the answer", she added, laughing.

After a few more minutes, the girls finished to clean the kitchen, which was one of the tasks Mrs. Weasley had destined to them. Next, they decided to go check on Ron, who was supposed to be cleaning his room. However, as the two teenagers were approaching the boy's room door, a peculiar sound reached their ears.

"I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed victoriously, walking very carefully. Hermione chuckled and followed the red haired girl in tiptoe. They leaned against the door, and Ginny muttered one, two and three, before bursting into the room.

"What the hell!" Ron yelled hoarsely, waking with a start. The boy took a while to understand what was going on, and when he finally did so, his eyes fell upon his shirtless chest and then upon Hermione's blushed face.

"I-we-hnn" the brunette tried to speak, but nothing she was saying made any sense. Her brown eyes stared one last time into Ron's bare chest, before she hastily turned them away to the ceiling.

"You should be cleaning your room, brother", Ginny said, her back turned to them. Apparently, she had not witnessed that embarrassing moment.

"I was cleaning it, until I trip on a shoe and fell on my bed. After that, everything went blurry and I can't remember anything at all…" Ron tried to explain, dressing a blue shirt that was over a chair beside the table.

"I can imagine! Well, now you're awake. What are you waiting for?" the red haired girl demanded, resting her hands on her hips. Everybody said that she looked just like her mother when she did that, and so Ron obeyed really quickly.

"Ginny, we should leave him now, don't you think?" Hermione suggested, motioning the other girl to follow her out of the room.

"Yeah, let's go! See you later!" Ginny happily said, waving goodbye while she closed the door behind her.

The blue eyed boy didn't rely, and continued seizing everything that was on the floor with a thoughtful expression. Then, completely out of the blue, he jumped and exclaimed: "She was staring into my chest!"

A small owl, that was on top of a wardrobe shivered at this sudden burst, startled by the boy's behaviour. Ron walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed the tiny owl in his hand, whispering excitedly: "Sorry, Pig! I didn't mean to scare you!"

Pigwidgeon turned her piercing eyes to him in a clear expression of disappointment and outrage.

»«»«»«

Meanwhile, a short woman was sitting in a small sitting-room, sewing a pair of maroon socks which belonged to her son. "Will he ever stop growing?" she self-whispered, biting her lip. But no response came, since she was completely alone.

A few more minutes went by, in which silence seemed to engulf the division. And then, all of a sudden, a loud noise was heard closely followed by thick smoke, and two tall figures appeared out of thin air.

"Fred, George! You have to stop doing that; do you want to kill your poor mother?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, fear clear in her voice.

"Sorry, Mum! You know we love you too much to want you dead", George replied softly, walking over to his mother and placing a kiss on her cheek. He was short imitated by his twin brother, Fred Weasley.

"I hope so. Would you stay for dinner?" the red haired woman asked seconds later, placing the socks in a small basket beside her. After both boys said yes, she raised and started to make her way into the kitchen, leaving the twins behind.

The boys looked at each other for a split second, then, their faces were illuminated by a grin, and Fred said in a mysterious voice: "Are you thinking about the same thing I am?"

"Definitely", was the only word escaping George's lips.

»«»«»«

"Hermione, don't you feel sorry for Crookshanks? I mean, he is trapped in that cage for about one week", Ginny Weasley commented in a sorrowful voice, turning to face a brunette that was lying over the bed, a book in her hands.

"No, he is getting what he deserves! Crookshanks is a bad cat; he shouldn't have taken my diary to Ron's room" the brunette retorted, giving a nasty look to the ginger cat locked in a cage beside the room's door.

"It's not like he could have read it, though. You have put some kind of spell that doesn't allow people to read what is inside, unless they know some secret words", the red haired girl replied matter-of-fact, shaking her head unbelievably.

"How do you know that?" Hermione inquired, placing the book on her lap and raising an eyebrow.

"Well… the other day, as I was entering the room, I heard you whisper some words and touch the book with your wand", she started to tell, but as she saw the other girl's expression, Ginny added, "And don't worry, I didn't understand what you were saying."

"Great!" the brunette exclaimed, breathing in relief. She then covered her face with the book, acting as if nothing had happened.

"I think I'll never understand you, girl", the red haired girl self-whispered, kneeling to cuddle the ginger cat, that seemed to be desperate to leave its prison.

»«»«»«

A tall red haired boy was standing in front of a mirror, staring into his bare chest and arms, examining his muscles, or at least, pretending to have better developed ones. "Bloody hell! Why do I have to be so skinny?" he protested, dropping his arms hopelessly.

Nevertheless, as the memory of a brunette girl staring into his chest and blushing popped in his mind, the boy started exhibiting his torso and arms to an invisible audience. The boy was so distracted that he took some time to realize two people had just apparated in his room.

"Ron Weasley!" a playful voice exclaimed from behind the red haired boy. "Checking yourself on the mirror, huh? Who's the girl?"

"I – what? There's no girl!" Ron protested, dressing a shirt at the speed of light. "And how dare you invading my room like that? Couldn't you use the door as the normal people do?"

"You should know by now, little brother, that we are everything but normal people!" Fred replied, punching Ron on the shoulder. "Now tell us, who's your girl?"

Ron rolled his eyes in an annoyed way, before hissing: "I already told you; there is no girl, alright? Don't you two have something better to do?" he asked desperately, crossing his arms.

"As a matter of fact… we don't! What's better than annoying our brother?" George said in a defiant way. "And what's even better? Attacking our little brother with a pillow!"

Ron opened his mouth to retort, but it was too late: Fred and George were already hitting him with pillows.

»«»«»«

"Who's making all this fuss?" a red haired girl wondered, raising her eyes from the photo album she was seeing.

"I have no idea, but it looks like it's coming from Ron's bedroom. Do you think we should check if he's alright?" Hermione asked in a rather worried tone of voice. Ginny nodded and so the two girls made their way towards Ron's room.

The girls exchanged concerned looks, because as they came near, the sound grew louder and it looked as if someone was being killed, due to the muffled screams and some strange noises.

Hermione was the first entering the room, concern clear in her pale face. Ginny followed quickly, and she was in such a hurry that she didn't notice Hermione was standing still just in front of the door. What followed was a chain fall: Ginny pushed Hermione that fell over George; George lost his balance and pushed Ron to the ground, which in his turn, pushed Fred, making him fall too.

No wonder that when Mrs. Weasley entered the room seconds later, she couldn't suppress a surprised exclamation. The five teenagers were all on the ground, laughing as if they were completely mad. "Heavens! What happened in this room?" she asked in a shocked voice, but her only reply was more giggles.

Ron was the first to get free from that confusion, and he walked immediately towards Hermione and held out his hand. "Do you want some help?" the blue eyed boy asked in a sweet voice.

"Yeah, I think so!" Hermione answered, holding Ron's hand and allowing him to pull her up. But he used more strength than she was expecting, and so she was thrown against him. The red haired boy grabbed her by the waist and stared deeply into her brown eyes. _It was now or never, _he thought to himself, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of giggles.

"You can let go of her now, brother", Ginny whispered in his ear, making Ron blush in ten shades of red.

Hermione stepped away from him, her eyes locked with his blue ones, and then she turned her face away swiftly.

Mrs. Weasley seemed to be the only person in that room oblivious to the odd behaviour of Ron and Hermione, and she was the one breaking the uncomfortable silence: "Well, children, I'll need your help to prepare dinner; Fred and George are going to eat with us."

"Of you go, children! Mum needs your help", Fred commanded in a resolute voice, pointing the door to Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"What do you think you're doing, young man?" Mrs. Weasley inquired, placing her hands on her hips. "When I said _children_, I was including you and George! Now, of you go to the kitchen, and I don't want to hear a single complain!" the red haired woman threatened.

Therefore, all the five of them had to follow Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen some floors bellow, talking cheerfully and still laughing about their fall. All of them except two people, that were making all the efforts to put a distance between them, even though their eyes were frequently seeking for each other.

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**Note: **Merry Christmas to you all!


	6. A feared moment

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters; they all belong to J.K Rowling.

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**Chapter 6- **A feared moment

Fred and George marvelled everyone with new products of their joke shop, doing a free demonstration after dinner. Even Mrs. Weasley seemed to be enjoying herself, despite her lame attempts in disguising her enthusiasm.

When the twins finally finished the exhibition, everybody applauded sincerely. Bill and Fleur rose from the armchair they had been sharing, and announced they were off to a stroll in the garden.

"A stroll behind the bushes, they mean", Ginny whispered on Hermione's ear that seemed both shocked and amused with her friend's bold remark.

"Well Molly, it was Dumbledore's will that Harry should stay in Privet Drive until he turns seventeen, and just because Dumbledore is not here anymore-" Mr. Weasley was saying to her wife, but he trailed of when he noticed five pairs of eyes watching him attentively.

"What are you staring at?" Mrs. Weasley questioned with a hint of annoyance. "Come dear, let's find a quiet place to talk", she added, sending them a nasty look and leading her husband out of the living-room.

"Poor Harry…" Hermione said, after a few minutes silence. Her brown eyes were gleaming in a strange way, as if tears could appear on their corners at any moment. "I can't imagine how he is feeling, in the middle of that horrible Muggles, without any friend to comfort him…"

Ginny dropped her gaze to the floor, and a single tear rolled down her pale cheek. The boys stared at her helplessly, and George walked over to her and patted her clumsily on the shoulder.

Hermione, whose eyes had been fixing the white wall, gulped when she turned around and saw that scene. "Oh Ginny… I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to-"

The red haired girl waved a hand in dismissal. And when she raised her head, a faint smile was gracing her features. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Harry made his decision and I must accept it. I just miss him so bad…" Ginny admitted in a low yet resolute voice.

George had stopped patting her shoulder, and Ron was looking worriedly at his younger sister. Hermione draw near Ginny, but she too seemed to be completely speechless, so she came to a halt beside Fred, who had not moved at all.

"If you'll excuse me guys, I'm a bit tired. I'll go to bed now, good night", Ginny stated, raising from the couch and heading towards the door. When she was almost crossing it, she said in a fake cheerful tone of voice: "By the way, Fred and George, your new products are really cool." And then she left her sobs still audible as she climbed the stairs.

Hermione placed her hands over her mouth, completely horrified by what she had caused. The brunette breathed heavily and then mumbled: "I think I need to get some fresh air."

She crossed the room's door with quick steps, and Ron raised his blue eyes just in time to see her disappear. How he wished to go after her, to hug her and tell her that everything would be ok…

"What are you waiting for?" Fred snapped suddenly, and Ron raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "Well, she is your friend, she is feeling bad with herself… she needs someone to cheer her up!" the red haired boy replied impatiently.

"I don't- alright, I'll go", Ron muttered, and he too exited the living-room. _'But where had she gone to?' _he wondered, and it was then that he heard footsteps descending the stairs that lead to the kitchen. "It must be her", the boy conclude, and started to follow the sound of footsteps.

»«»«»«

She let go of the doorknob almost in slow-motion, and when it finally closed with a soft noise, she slipped silently to the floor and leaned her back against the door. Salty tears streamed down her pale face; tears she had been refusing to cry.

'_Harry made his decision and I must accept it…' _These words echoed furiously on her mind, making the girl realize how empty they were. The truth is that she had not accepted the fact that Harry wanted to follow a separate way… she was not the kind of girl willing to give up without at least fighting for what she wanted, but in this case, she just feel completely hopeless.

Ginny watched as Crookshanks approached her and placed his head on her lap, observing her with his sharp eyes. The red haired girl smiled and cuddled him behind the ears. Hermione had finally released him from his punishment.

"You're the only one that really understands me, aren't you?" the girl whispered, and the ginger cat purred. "I try to be strong Crookshanks, I really do. I smile and pretend I'm ok so the others don't get worried about me… if they only knew how it hurts…"

Crookshanks purred again, and Ginny stared at him, even though her thoughts were far from there and flying in the direction of a two-floor house in a place called Privet Drive.

»«»«»«

A tall red haired boy was walking carefully through a dirt path, in the middle of bushes and flowers, trying to find a certain person in the pitch darkness. A few steps ahead, the sound of sobs reached his ears and the boy found who he was looking for. "Hermione?" he called uncertainly.

"I'm here", the girl answered. Ron moved towards the wooden bench where she was sitting in, and sat beside her. The brunette wiped her tears with the sleeve of her green shirt and turned sideways to look at him. "What do you want?"

"I- hum- you were crying, so I decided to come and see if you're alright", the red haired boy explained, his blue eyes watching the girl attentively.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm just so stupid sometimes…" Hermione replied, her lips curling into a small smile.

"You're not stupid, Hermione. I think you are a wonderful girl; you're smart, you're loyal to your friends and-"Ron trailed of, clearly embarrassed. He breathed deeply and then continued in a strangely low voice: "And you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met."

Hermione widened her eyes, completely caught by surprise with the boy's words. _'Did he just say he thinks I'm beautiful?' _the brunette thought in confusion. Her brown eyes were locked with the boy's blue ones, and she shivered when she saw his face coming closer from hers.

'_I can't believe I'm going to do this', _Ron thought, and he approached even more from Hermione. They were so close now that he could feel her sweet scent, and goose bumps spread through his body.

Hermione closed her eyes the moment their noses touched each other; she felt his breath getting heavier, and waited for what was coming with a midst of anticipation and fear.

The silence in the garden was almost unbearable as their lips were almost touching. Then, the sound of footsteps and cheerful giggles broke the silence of the night, and both Ron and Hermione only had time to jump apart and rise from the bench. They turned around quickly to see a puzzled Bill and a delighted Fleur.

"Oops", the French girl said mockingly, making the brunette blush ten shades of red and Ron went paler than usual. The red haired boy tried to pretend he was not bothered with what had happened, but he failed miserably.

"Let's go inside, Fleur", Bill suggested, grabbing the blonde girl's hand. They started to walk away, and Bill shouted over his shoulder: "You two just keep doing whatever you were doing." Fleur giggled loudly and the two of them strolled away happily.

Needless to say, the two teenagers that were left behind stood there in silence, until Ron finally mumbled: "We should go inside too… it's getting late."

Hermione nodded, not daring to say a word. She was still feeling little butterflies flying on her stomach, and shivers running down her spine. It almost happened… the thing she most longed for, but at the same time feared.

Ron let the brunette walk a little ahead, and then exclaimed above a whisper: "Bloody hell! Why did they have to appear?"

"Did you say something?" Hermione questioned, looking over her shoulder with an awkward expression. The red haired boy shook his head, and the girl continued her way, oblivious to the fact her every move was being watched.

**To be continued… **


	7. I wish it was that simple

**Disclaimer: **I only own the plot.

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**Special thanks: **to all of you that read this and review, and also to those who don't.

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**Chapter 7- **I wish it was that simple

"_I was starting to think you weren't coming…" a female voice said when a red-haired boy closed the door behind him._

_The boy stood emotionlessly, observing the girl attentively, waiting for her to speak again. However, the brunette didn't speak; she sighed and locked her brown eyes with the boy's blue ones. Realising she was expecting him to say something, he opened his mouth, but no words escaped his dry lips. _

"_I was hoping we could finish our previous conversation, since we are completely alone at the moment", the brunette commented in a casual voice, resting her head over the palms of her hands, never breaking the eye contact. _

_The blue-eyed boy cleared his throat and licked his lips before replying, "You called me here, so you're the one who's supposed to say something." He leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms, at the same time dropping his gaze into the floor. He just wasn't capable of facing those brown eyes; he felt like his mind was being scanned. _

_The girl sighed again, but this was a disappointed sigh. "You will never grow up, will you? I'm tired of playing these games, of pretending nothing is going on between us… I want to make things right, but I can't do it without you… "_

_He finally raised his eyes, and the serene expression on the girl's face made him gather the courage he needed to open his heart. "Let's make things right, together." And with a shy smile playing on his lips, he started to walk towards the brunette._

»«»«»«

A brunette girl was staring at the blue sky; her hands were clutching a thick blue book open in an empty page. Beside the girl were a corked ink bottle and a white feather; the girl's eyes finally fell upon these objects, and she grabbed the feather hesitantly. Then, with swift moves, she uncorked the bottle and damped the tip of the feather in the blue ink.

As the first words appeared on the page, the girl totally forgot what surrounded her; nothing else mattered, besides what she was writing. The only sound that could be heard was the scratching of the feather on the paper.

'_Dear Diary, _

_Sometimes I just feel like screaming everything that is stuck in my throat… why does it have to be so complicated? Why do I keep denying this feeling burning inside of me? I wish I could talk to someone; Ginny would understand, wouldn't she? I mean, I tried so many times to talk to her, but in the last minute I couldn't bring myself to do it… please, help me! And to make things worse, I think he is upset with me, 'cause he barely talks to me ever since that night. Oh, this is so frustrating…' _

"Hermione, can I come in?" Ginny asked in an intrigued tone.

"Just a second, just a second!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping at once and throwing her stuff into her trunk; she was in such a hurry that she forgot to lock the trunk. Next, she walked over to the door and pulled it open, only to see a suspicious Ginny staring at her.

"Why did you lock yourself in my room, Hermione?" the red-haired girl inquired, entering her room and glancing around to see what the other girl had been doing. The brunette shrugged, with a guilty expression on her face. "Look Hermione, I thought we were friends. If something is going on, and you need someone to talk to, I'm right here; you can trust me."

"I know I can Ginny; you are my best girl friend. Don't worry about me, alright? Nothing is going on", Hermione declared in a reassuring voice, that yet wasn't enough to convince Ginny.

"Do as you wish, but don't forget what I said; friends are supposed to help each other, no matter what. And now come with me, Mum needs help cleaning the kitchen", Ginny said, exiting the room.

Hermione nodded and followed the other girl out of the room and into the kitchen; it was good to know Ginny was there for her, even though she didn't feel ready to talk yet. When they arrived at the kitchen, she breathed in relief when she saw only Mrs. Weasley was there.

"There you are, girls. I'm going to bake some cakes now, so I need you two to wash the dishes", Mrs. Weasley instructed, pointing to a pile of dishes beside the sink.

Both girls folded their sleeves and promptly started to wash the dishes. After a few minutes in silence, Ginny asked: "Are we going to have visits, Mum?"

"Yes dear. Your father is going to bring Nymphadora and Mad Eye Moody to dinner with us; I thought it would be nice to have cakes for dessert", Mrs. Weasley answered distractedly, while reading a recipe from a book called '1000 cakes for every occasion'.

Ginny rolled her eyes and said in a low voice, so that only Hermione could hear: "In other words, piles of dishes to wash. Watch this." The brunette controlled her laughter, and watched as Ginny composed an exasperated expression. "This is not fair, Mum! Hermione and I always do more tasks than Ron; don't you think he should wash the dishes tonight?"

"Hum… you're right, dear. I'll tell him to do that", Mrs. Weasley replied, her eyes still scanning the book, making it impossible for her to see her daughter's victorious smirk.

»«»«»«

"Hello Rronny", Fleur Delacour greeted, sitting beside a red-haired boy, who looked rather pale. In fact, the boy looked so miserable that for a moment, the French girl thought he was feeling sick. "Arre you feeling alright?" she asked in a solicit voice.

"Hnn... what?" the boy replied, absent minded. At last, he raised his eyes and saw Fleur eyeing him with an awkward expression. "Oh, it's you…" he mumbled, disappointed.

"Where you expecting zomeone else?" the blonde girl inquired, noticing for the first time that he was holding a picture on his hands, though she wasn't able to see who or what was in it.

"Have you ever felt like you've done something you should regret, but no matter how hard you try, you know that was the right thing to do?" Ron muttered in a mysterious voice, putting the picture inside his pants' pocket.

"I'm not surre I underztand what you mean", Fleur replied, confusion clear in her voice.

"Ron sighed, and as he rose from the bench, he stated: "I didn't expect you to understand. Sorry for bothering you." And then he walked away, humming a song.

"He must be rreally ill", the blue eyed girl whispered, shaking her head, "he didn't even blush."

»«»«»«

As the night started to fall over The Burrow and stars appeared in the sky, Mrs. Weasley started to shout orders right and left, almost driving Ginny and Hermione insane. Taking advantage of a moment of distraction from her mother, Ginny seized Hermione's arm and dragged her into the garden.

"So much fuss because of a dinner! Honestly, it looks like the Queen is coming over", the red-haired girl commented in a sarcastic voice.

"You know your mother, Ginny, she just wants everybody to have a good time", Hermione replied, looking at the sky, a small smile playing on her lips. "Ginny… if you liked someone, but that person was a friend of yours would you confess your feelings?" she asked, a hint of hesitation clear in her voice.

Ginny blinked at her friend's words; was Hermione really willing to confess her feelings? "Well Hermione, I guess it would depend of many things. If you explain the situation, maybe I-"

"Forget it", the brunette said hastily, shaking her head in denial. "Just pretend I didn't say anything, alright?" she added dismissively.

"No, I won't forget", Ginny retorted suddenly in a loud voice. "I told you before, you can trust me. It's not healthy to keep things only to yourself; you'll feel much better after sharing it with someone."

The brown-eyed girl sighed deeply, and turned to face Ginny. "It's just… I have never felt like this before, and it scares me. Around my books, I always feel so safe… But this feeling is unpredictable, is overwhelming, is impossible to control. It's like you have something burning inside you…"

The red-haired girl smiled comprehensively, and said in a mysterious voice: "That, my friend, is called love…"

If darkness wasn't surrounding them, Ginny would have easily seen Hermione blushing ten shades of red, before staring dreamily at a small lighted window, at the very top of the house.

»«»«»«

"What now?" a red-haired boy bellowed when he felt something being placed on his lap. As he opened his eyes, a ginger cat leapt to the floor and sat at the boy's feet, observing him attentively. "Not this bloody thing again!" Ron whined, jumping quickly to his feet, so that a blue book fell into the floor.

The boy's blue eyes stared cautiously at the book, which simply stood there, looking as harmless as any ordinary book. "That's it?" Ron mumbled slowly. "No red letters flashing, no threatening chains? Are you not gonna do anything at all?" he asked to the book, which obviously didn't budge.

Crookshanks continued observing him closely, almost as if waiting for the boy to pick up the book.

"If your owner finds about this, you're doomed; actually, we're both doomed", Ron said at last, curiosity taking hold of him. He grabbed the book carefully, half-fearing it would start flashing in red; however, that didn't happen. "Alright Crookshanks, here we go…"

He opened on a random page, and started reading; his legs trembled and he sat on the bed for support. _'Dear Diary, I still don't know what to do… Every day, I wake up with the same confusing thoughts. Should I or shouldn't I tell him the truth? Sometimes I want to do it, but other times I'm not so sure about that. What if I ruin everything? What if he doesn't feel the same way about me?' _

At this point, the blue eyed boy was so focused on the words he was reading, that he failed to notice steps approaching his room. His eyes were locked with the page, so he didn't notice someone entering his room; then, completely out of the blue, he felt like he was being hit by a truck, and the book flew from his hands.

"How dare you? Have you no shame at all? Oh, I'm so mad right now, that I could kill you!" Hermione exploded, her eyes flashing dangerously. She looked so furious, that Ron actually thought for a moment she was going to kill him.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" Ron apologized clumsily, stepping out of the girl's way, that had went to retrieve her diary with harsh moves.

"I will never forgive you", she hissed, tears dwelling on the corners of her eyes. "I bet you had so much fun with the rubbish I wrote!"

"I only read something about 'confusing thoughts'- nothing that big, really!" he replied reassuringly. "Anyway, it was not my fault, Hermione, Crookshanks brought it, and I- I couldn't-"Ron tried to explain, only to be edgily interrupted by the brunette.

"Oh, really? So, you wouldn't mind telling me where is Crookshanks, will you? Because frankly, I can't see him anywhere; unless he has the ability to turn invisible or Apparate…"

The red-haired boy glanced franticly around, and felt his heart sank when he realized she was right; the ginger cat had probably sneaked off when the commotion had started. "I swear he brought it! He must've sneaked off when-"

"Oh, shut up!" Hermione ordered firmly. "Besides having no respect for the other people's privacy, you're also a great liar! Blaming poor Crookshanks… he learnt better from his punishment! Lucky you I have only a small cage… brat!" And with this final burst, she stormed out of them room, slamming the door hard.

Ron collapsed on his bed, hiding his face on his pillow. "What have I done? She will never forgive me!" he muttered miserably, his words muffled by the pillow.

»«»«»«

Everyone inside the Weasleys's kitchen seemed to be having a good time; the dinner was very good and now they were waiting for the dessert.

Billy, Fleur and Mr. Weasley were discussing some new measures the Minister had taken, while Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were serving the cakes. At one end of the table, stood Mad Eye Moody, his magical eye spinning in every direction at an alarming speed.

Ginny and Hermione were deep in conversation, even though the brunette would glance occasionally at the tall boy standing by the window. He didn't seem to notice these glances, since his eyes were fixed on the starry sky; what thoughts were on his mind, remained a mystery to the others.

As everybody started to taste the desserts, the boy crossed the door which led to the garden, hoping that no one had seen him going out; unfortunately for him, someone did, and waste no time in following him. Just a few seconds later, the tall boy heard someone calling his name, "Ron!"

Turning around slowly, he found someone he did not expected to see. "Tonks?" he said wearily, watching as the young woman came closer.

"Wotcher, Ron", she greeted in a low voice. "So, did you come outside to see the stars?" she asked conversationally, stopping at his side and crossing her arms.

"No, not really. I guess I just needed to be alone for a moment", he answered sincerely. As he saw the apologetic look on Tonk's face, he added, "Its ok for you to be here."

The young woman nodded and turned sideways to stare at him. "You look sad", she stated simply.

Ron shrugged and replied, "We all have bad days, and this was definitely not a good one to me."

"I see", Tonks said in an understanding voice. She stared at the sky, and silence embraced them.

After a while, the blue eyed boy turned around to return to The Burrow; he felt a wand wrapping around his arm. "Listen Ron, if you have something to tell her don't waste your time. I did that once, and it was the not the smartest thing I've ever done. If you really care for her, stop giving excuses to yourself and go for it. Not everyone has the chance to be happy, but if you do, don't think twice", the young woman said in a faint yet resolute voice.

"I'm not sure I know what-"Ron tried to say, but Tonks didn't allow him to finish his sentence.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." And with this enigmatic reply, she let go of Ron's arm and started to walk away. The red-haired boy genuinely considered he words, and despite the fact they made absolute sense, he knew he wasn't remotely prepared to do it. _'I wish it was that simple…' _

**To be continued… **


	8. Time for some action

**Disclaimer: **I only own the plot.

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**Special thanks: **to everyone that reads this, and to the ones who review. Thank you so much, guys!

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**Chapter 8 - **Time for some action

"Good morning, brother", Ginny Weasley greeted, walking inside the kitchen and sitting opposite Ron at the table.

"Good morning", the boy mumbled dimly. He had dark bangs under his eyes, and his hair was rather dishevelled.

Ginny helped herself to a bowl of porridge, and only then noticed Ron's gloomy expression. "Had a bad night?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah", Ron replied, nodding.

"You know, Mum has a theory about that", the red-haired girl said, making her brother to stare at her with a raised eyebrow. "She says that people, who can't sleep at night, are suffering from heartbreak. I wonder if that is your problem…"

At these words, Ron almost choked; he managed to say between coughs: "Where d-did you g-get that i-idea from?"

"No need to choke, dear brother that is not going to solve your problem. And don't give me that confused look, 'cause I know exactly what is going on with you", Ginny retorted straight away.

"Y-you do?" Ron inquired rather nervously.

Ginny nodded, and waited until he had finished coughing to say: "You like her, but you're scared to let her know, because you think she only sees you as a friend. Am I correct?"

"So far, so good", the blue-eyed boy confirmed, glancing around to check that no one was overhearing their conversation. "Please, keep your voice down", he begged.

Ginny lowered her voice, and continued: "See, the thing is, if you don't talk to her, you'll never know. Personally, I believe she feels the same way for you, but since you don't make any move, she probably thinks you're not interested. Now, I can help you, dear brother, but I can't do everything alone." She paused, eyeing him comprehensively.

Ron closed his eyes for a few seconds; then, he declared in a faint yet resolute voice: "Ok Ginny, I accept your help. I tried… but I guess I'm not really an expert on these matters…"

Ginny giggled before replying: "You did fine on your own with Lavender…"

"Oh please, don't remind me of that", the blue-eyed boy begged, concealing his face behind his hands, and shaking his red head madly.

Ginny smiled, but promised she would help him conquering the girl he liked.

»«»«»«

'_Dear Harry, I hope you're holding on… _

_I can't imagine how difficult it must be to be locked with your dreadful uncles, but I just wanted to let you know that your friends haven't forgotten you. We wished nothing more than –'_

"Who is it?" Hermione asked, raising her head from the letter she was writing. When she saw Ginny Weasley entering the room, she promptly stuffed the paper inside her bag. "Oh, hi there, Ginny", she greeted in a compromised voice.

"What were you up to?" the other girl inquired, walking over to the window-sill and sitting on it.

"Well, I – I was just writing a letter to Viktor", Hermione answered dismissively.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Ginny said, turning her blue eyes towards her friend.

"Hum, sure."

"What kind of relationship do you have with Krum? Are you two just friends or there's something else?" Ginny questioned at last, eyeing Hermione attentively.

"I don't understand why you're asking me this; I've always made it very clear that Viktor is only a friend…" Hermione replied, raising an eyebrow. She stared inquiringly at Ginny, who took a while to speak.

"So", she started, with an innocent look, "say, if someone liked you, how you would feel about that?"

Hermione widened her eyes, dropping her gaze to the floor next and mumbling shyly: "Well, I guess it would depend of the person in question... but why, do you know something I don't know?"

"Oh no, it was just a possibility. Never mind", the red-haired girl relied, smirking. "It was nice chatting with you. See ya later!" And with these enigmatic words, she left the room.

The brunette shook her head disapprovingly, and then whispered: "And they call me crazy…"

»«»«»«

"So, what do you think? Do I have a chance?" Ron asked as soon as his sister stepped inside the kitchen.

"Don't be so hasty, brother", Ginny replied, smiling at her brother's exasperated expression. "One thing I can tell you for sure: Krum won't be a problem. Now it's up to you to make her see how much you care for her."

Ron sighed deeply, and then said: "Well, first I have to convince her to forgive me because of the diary thing…"

"Just do like I told you, Ron; I'm sure that'll work", Ginny replied confidently.

"If you're so sure of that…" Ron commented in a not so self-assured voice.

The red-haired girl opened her mouth to retort, but at the same time Hermione walked inside the kitchen. "Well, like I was saying Ron, I have to go and clean Arnold's cage. Bye!" Ginny exclaimed in a significant voice.

Hermione stopped on her tracks, apparently forgetting what had led her there. Ron seized the opportunity, and said in a truly regretful voice: "Look Hermione, I know you're really pissed with me because of the diary, but I'm really sorry for what I did…"

Hermione sent him an angry look, but she didn't say anything, and so Ron continued: "It was a horrible thing to do, and if you only knew how much I regret it… Hermione, let's not ruin our friendship. Please, forgive me."

The brunette crossed her arms, and after a few seconds in silence, she said: "I'm truly disappointed with you, Ronald Weasley; I would have expected better from you. But since you seem to regret deeply what you've done, I'm willing to forgive you. However", she continued, making Ron's smile fade away, "I must warn you that if you do something else that pisses me off, I'll never speak to you again. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly", Ron replied, cheering a little bit. "I'm really glad you forgave me, and I promise I won't do anything stupid like that ever again."

"Good", Hermione said. "Well, I'm going to look for Crookshanks in the garden; I'll see you later."

Ron nodded, and stared at her back as she walked towards the door that led to the garden. When the girl was almost reaching the door, she turned around and asked above a whisper: "Would you like to help me?"

Ron smiled widely before replying: "Sure I want." He was so excited that he knocked over a chair on his way, and almost fell on the floor. He blushed ten shades of red when Hermione said: "Silly!"

From behind the kitchen's door, a red-haired girl was observing both boy and girl; a truly happy smile was playing on her lips. "Finally", she whispered to the air.

**To be continued…**


	9. The picnic

**Disclaimer: **Like I said before, I only own the plot.

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**Special thanks to: **shinningsun95 and connieewing. Thanks for your reviews.

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**Chapter 9- **The picnic

Ginny Weasley couldn't feel more proud of herself; lately, Hermione and Ron were inseparable. Either they would spend the day walking in the garden, or they would find something fun to do inside.

"Those two must be up to something, Ginny", Mrs. Weasley commented, watching as Ron and Hermione talked cheerfully at the kitchen's table. Their heads were rather close, and they were whispering at each other's ears. "They barely fight anymore, and they are always giggling…"

Ginny laughed pleasantly and looked over her shoulder, feeling happy for her brother and her friend. Even though she was going through a difficult time herself, all Ginny wanted was to see them finally together. "Let them be, Mum. They're finally solving their differences; didn't you notice that the house is so much quieter?"

"Oh yes, thankfully. I only hope things continue like this; it wouldn't be nice to have them screaming at each other again constantly", Mrs. Weasley replied, pointing her wand towards a saucepan, which flew towards the table and landed right in front of Ron and Hermione.

The two of them raised their eyes, and interrupted their conversation. "Can any of you go and tell Fleur that the lunch is read?" she asked. "Meanwhile, I'm going to send an owl to your father."

"I can go", Hermione volunteered, rising from the chair. She left to call Fleur, and Mrs. Weasley to send the owl. Only Ginny and Ron stayed behind.

"Sister, I really have to thank you for your tips", Ron said, after making sure no one else was around. "Hermione and I have never been so close! I mean, its incredible how we haven't fought lately…"

"I told you it was going to work!" Ginny replied, smiling broadly. "And don't thank me, 'because I only gave you the ideas, you're the one who's making the rest", she added, winking.

"0f course I have to thank you! If it wasn't for your help, we'd probably still be mad at each other. And now that you mention ideas, I kinda had this idea to spend some time with Hermione… I just don't know if it is a good idea…." Ron said, in a rather shy voice. His cheeks were a little bit red, and his blue eyes were staring at every direction, except at Ginny's face.

The red-haired girl smiled, and encouraged him to tell her his idea: "Come on, what did you thought of?"

"Well, I thought it would be nice if I took Hermione for a picnic, this afternoon. You know something simple; just some sandwiches and lemonade." He paused, looking at Ginny inquiringly. "What do you think?"

"That's such a great idea, Ron!" Ginny answered at once, clapping her hands. "She's gonna love that, I'm positive. I'm proud of you, brother, I really am", she said, walking over to Ron and hugging him.

"Hey, stop smothering me, will you?" Ron asked, trying to get free of Ginny's hug.

At this moment, Fleur and Hermione walked inside the kitchen, stopping at the sight of Ron and Ginny wrestling with each other. "What is going on?" Hermione inquired, looking confused.

Nevertheless, the only reply she got was an outburst of laughter, and shaking her head, the brunette took a seat at the table. Fleur eyed both Ron and Ginny with a superior look, and muttered: "Why did I choose a man with a crrazy family?"

»«»«»«

"Ok, sandwiches… check. Lemonade… checks. I know I'm forgetting something, but what?" Ron muttered to himself, staring at the picnic basket, almost as if waiting for it to tell him what he was forgetting. "Of course!" he exclaimed, clapping a hand on his forehead. "The napkins…"

The blue eyed boy wandered around the kitchen, making the last preparations for what he expected to be a well spent afternoon. Only when he was sure everything was ready, he walked out of the kitchen and quickly made his way towards Ginny room, where he was sure Hermione would be.

He had told her he had a surprise for her, but the brunette was far from guessing what the boy had prepared. "Ginny, do you have any idea of what Ron is up to?" she inquired curiously, trying to brush her bushy hair.

"Even if I did, and I'm not saying I do, obviously I wouldn't tell you; otherwise, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore", Ginny replied, raising her eyes from the book she was reading.

"Good point", Hermione said at last, giving up of trying controlling her rebel hair. "I have to confess something; Ron has been surprising me a lot lately. I never thought he could be such a gentleman, and he can actually have a serious conversation that doesn't involve Quidditch or girls", she continued, leaning to cuddle Crookshanks.

"Yeah, Ron can be a surprise sometimes", Ginny stated, closing the book. "Hum, Hermione… can I ask you something personal?"

Hermione nodded, sitting on the floor and placing Crookshanks on her lap; she started cuddling his ears distractedly.

"Well, I know you always said he's only a friend, but since you have been growing clos-"

"Can I come in?" someone asked from the corridor, making Ginny to interrupt what she was saying.

A few seconds later, Ron walked inside, blushing slightly at the sight of Hermione; she was wearing jeans, and a pink shirt with the words: You drive me crazy. He wondered for a moment if that message was for him; shrugging these thoughts, he said: "Ready to go?"

"Sure", the brunette replied, smiling. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Well, that is for me to know, and for you to find out", Ron replied, but decided to add, "Not just yet, of course."

Soon, they were both gone, and Ginny opened the book again. A small picture slipped to her lap; it was the picture of a young boy with black hair and a scar in the shape of a lightening. The red haired girl picked it up gently, and whispered: "I know you'd be proud of Ron and Hermione; I just wished you were here…"

»«»«»«

Two figures were walking leisurely through the middle of trees and flowers; one of them was carrying what seemed to be a picnic basket.

"I loved the picnic idea, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically, stopping to allow Ron to catch up with her. "Want some help with that basket?" she offered, watching as the boy struggled to reach her.

"No way", Ron replied under his breath. "What do you say for us to stay here?" he suggested, mainly because he was having trouble carrying the basket, but he didn't want to reveal his weakness to Hermione.

The brunette nodded and rushed to help Ron stretching the towel. However, when she was about to grab the tips of it, a strong breeze ripped it of the boy's hands. Gasping, Hermione watched helplessly as Ron ran around, chasing the towel.

"Ron… let it go… Ron, seriously, there's no need for that", she reasoned, but the red haired boy seemed to be oblivious to her words, for he kept running after the towel, even though she was quickly flying away.

After a few more minutes chasing it, Ron returned to where Hermione was, his eyes facing the floor. "I'm sorry…" he mumbled apologetically.

"It's ok… really, these things happen", she said, kneeling in front of Ron, who had sat in the roots of a large tree.

The boy locked his eyes with the girl's; she was so close he could feel her flowery scent. She caressed his cheek, and Ron felt it turning bright red; why the hell did he had to blush in times like this?

She leaned towards him, and before he knew it, he was feeling almost as if he was flying; that had to be the best sensation ever in the world…

**To be continued… **


	10. Flames of Eternity

**Disclaimer: **I only own the plot; the rest belongs to J. K. Rowling.

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**Special thanks to: **connieewing, and rupert grint is sexy, for your reviews, and also to everyone who reviewed in past chapters and that has read this story.

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**Chapter 10- **Flames of Eternity…

Summer was slowly coming to an end, but flowers were still covering the green fields; it had been a summer full of surprises and unexpected events. Much for Mrs. Weasley dislike, Bill and Fleur had eventually married, and where now travelling throughout Europe in honeymoon.

But that was nothing compared to the sudden truce that Ron and Hermione seemed to have given each other; no more heated arguments, no more bitter retorts… just smiles and appreciative looks. "If I didn't know better", Mrs. Weasley started, "I'd say those two were dating."

Ginny giggled before replying: "Oh Mum, you know better. With time they'll go back to their usual selves." However, this wasn't exactly true; Ginny knew they were dating, but since they had asked her to keep it secret, she intended to keep it that way.

This summer hadn't been that good for her, but seeing her brother and her friend happy made Ginny feel slightly better. Harry had only sent her one letter, but his distant words made her finally understand that probably they were never meant to be together. Ginny sighed, and watched as Mrs. Weasley placed a chocolate cake over the huge kitchen table.

"Ginny, dear, would you mind calling Ron and Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley inquired, and Ginny nodded.

»«»«»«

"Flames of Eternity?" Ron asked, and Hermione smiled, content. "I didn't know you write books…"

"Well, I started writing it around our third year in Hogwarts, I think, but I only found the inspiration to finish it this summer… to be honest, I never thought it would have a happy ending", Hermione confessed, running a hand through Ron's red hair, whose head was lying over her lap.

Ron locked his blue eyes with her brown ones, and replied: "I like it; I like it very much." Nothing was said for long minutes, until Ron spoke again. "Hermione, you know I'm not very good with words, but I just want to thank you for being so special… for accepting me the way I am… I know I can be a total disaster sometimes…"

"Sometimes is putting it lightly", Hermione remarked, a playful smile gracing her features. Ron straightened up and faked an outraged expression, and the brunette pecked him on the lips. "But I like you that way… everything that matters now, is that we finally opened our eyes and stopped wasting time…"

Ron smiled too, and wrapped his arms around Hermione's torso; it was hard to believe they were finally together, just like he had dreamed so many times, and he only wished it would last forever.

The embrace was broken when a knock was heard on the door, and they drew some distance apart before saying 'come in'.

Ginny opened the door and smiled mischievously at the sight of their flushed faces; they still found it hard to show affection in the presence of other people. "Mum wants both of you in the kitchen; there's a chocolate cake that needs to be eaten."

Ron and Hermione nodded and lost no time in following Ginny out of the room, holding each other's hands. Lying on the bed was a book with a black cover, where little words burned in shades of red and orange: Flames of Eternity.

**The End**

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Well guys, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did; it's the first time I actually finish one, and I want to apologize for being small, but it was originally planed to be so. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Take care!!!


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